# EFCU Financial Mobile Banking vs Essential CU

EFCU Financial Mobile Banking and Essential CU both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 80% of Essential CU's written reviews are positive against 47% of EFCU Financial Mobile Banking's. EFCU Financial Mobile Banking's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for EFCU Financial Mobile Banking against 4.8 for Essential CU. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4.7K and 4.6K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 47% of EFCU Financial Mobile Banking's written reviews are positive against 80% of Essential CU's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | EFCU Financial Mobile Banking | Essential CU |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (4.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/efcu-financial-mobile-banking/id805062899/reviews)** | [4.8 (4.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/essential-cu/id953483907/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **4.7K** | 4.6K |
| Positive reviews | 47.2% of reviews | **80.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 93 MB | 114 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [EFCU Financial Federal Credit Union](https://appshunter.io/developer/376779900) | [Essential Credit Union](https://appshunter.io/developer/875874546) |

## What reviewers say

### EFCU Financial Mobile Banking

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/efcu-financial-mobile-banking/id805062899)

Access and manage your EFCU Financial accounts securely from your mobile device. Perform transactions like transfers, loan payments, and bill payments on the go. This free service provides essential banking information whenever you need it.

**Highlights:** Instant account access, Secure account management, Make transfers, Loan payments, Bill pay

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Simplifies banking experience
- 💡 Great app and institution
- 👍 Helpful and professional staff
- 👍 Convenient to make deposits

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and login issues
- 🐛 Outdated and glitchy app
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance
- 🐛 Verification issues

**Reported bugs**

- Face ID/Touch ID issues
- Frequent log-outs and password resets
- Inability to transfer money between accounts
- Deposit issues after app updates
- Incompatibility with older devices

**Requested features**

- Instant Venmo transfers
- Early deposit feature
- Satellite or local branch


### Essential CU

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/essential-cu/id953483907)

Manage your credit union accounts conveniently from your mobile device. Access account information, transfer funds, pay bills, and deposit checks on the go. Easily locate ATMs and branches with this secure and user-friendly application.

**Highlights:** Check account balances, View transaction history, Transfer funds, Pay bills, Send money to contacts, Deposit checks, Find ATMs and branches

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and easy to use
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 💡 Useful features like check deposit
- 🔒 Secure with Touch ID login

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and technical issues
- ⚠️ Unreliable account access and information
- 💤 Outdated and frustrating interface
- 🤯 Poor customer support

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen freezes
- Account information not displaying correctly
- Deposit issues and delays
- Compatibility problems with newer devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to lock debit card
- Faster credit card payment updates
- More account management features
- Apple Pay integration


## Frequently asked questions

### Is EFCU Financial Mobile Banking free?

EFCU Financial Mobile Banking is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Essential CU free?

Essential CU is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, EFCU Financial Mobile Banking or Essential CU?

EFCU Financial Mobile Banking is rated higher. EFCU Financial Mobile Banking averages 4.8 out of 5 from 4.7K ratings, while Essential CU averages 4.8 from 4.6K ratings.

### Do EFCU Financial Mobile Banking or Essential CU have ads?

Neither EFCU Financial Mobile Banking nor Essential CU shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, EFCU Financial Mobile Banking or Essential CU?

EFCU Financial Mobile Banking ships an update every 3 months, and Essential CU every 3 months. Most recently, EFCU Financial Mobile Banking was updated on November 1, 2026 and Essential CU on November 6, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*